Surfboard



114-253. OR 3.380.425 SR Ti April 1963 H- A. WILSON 3,380,425

SURFBOARD Filed May 10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I.

FIG'Z. FIG.6.

PIC-5.8. FlG.4. mvmon Henry Allen Wilson BY /I,

ATTORNEY April 30, 1968 I HA. WILSON 3,380,425

SURFBOARD Filed May 10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet Z ATTORNEY United StatesPatent M 3,380,425 SURFBOARD Henry Allen Wilson, 1000 Eldorado Ave.,Clearwater Beach, Fla. 33515 Filed May 10, 1966, Ser. No. 548,920 4Claims. (Cl. 114-435 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relatesto a surfboard and more particularly to a means for attaching a towinglineth e re t o Riding a surfboard tcYwed bTa pd'w ered craft is a?popular sport but can be dangerous to the inexperienced as well asproviding problems in getting started. It is therefore an object of thisinvention to provide a tow for a surfboard which will reduce the dangerto the inexperienced as well as overcome the problem in getting started.To this end I fasten in a more or less permanent manner a tow rope tothe underside of the board whereby to tip the board to bring the leadingedge out of the water to thereby provide a proper angle for the board asit is towed. This prevents an inexperienced rider from forcing theleading edge under the surface of the water to overturn the board withthe danger of being hit as he is thrown into the water ahead of theboard. Also by providing the proper angle the start of the ride issimplified because the board is at the correct planing angle to skimover the water.

The invention will be understood by reading the following description inconjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a surfboard showing the towing line connectedthereto by a lasso connection;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation showing the tow line connected to the boardby a hook and eye connection;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the tow line connected by asnap connection;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a ball end and key slotconnection;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the rope molded in the board;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the rope connected to theboard by a cam chock connection;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a bayonet joint connection;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a capstan and loop connection;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the invention shown in FIG. '7;

FIG. 10 is a section taken on the line 1010 of FIG. 9 with the partsgreatly enlarged;

FIG. 11 is a similarly enlarged view of the connector of FIGS. 9 and 10;

FIG. 12 is a section taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are views showing how the separation of the connector ofFIGS. 9-12 is effected.

In the drawings there is illustrated a surfboard 10 having a leadingedge 12 and an undersurface 14. A tow rope 16 is secured to the board insuch manner that when attached to a towing craft and tensioned by thetowing action of the craft it will bear on the leading edge of thesurfboard as shown in FIG. 2 to cause the board 3,380,425 Patented Apr.30, 1968 to assume an angle with the surface of the water 18 such thatthe lea-ding edge is the high point of the board.

In FIG. 1 the tow rope is secured to the board by a lasso connectionadjacent the leading edge of the board but removed therefrom asufficient distance to produce the proper tip to the board when it istowed.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 an eye 20 is secured to the undersurface of the boardfor connection with the towing rope. The eye is secured adjacent theleading edge of the board but removed therefrom a sufiicient distance toproduce the proper angle when the board is towed. In FIG. 2 the rope issecured to a hook 28 which is hooked through the eye while in FIG. 3 therope end is connected to a snap fitting 22 which has a hook portion 24hooked through the eye and a spring biased closure element 26 biased toclose the open portion of the hook. In FIG. 7 the rope is secured to aneye 42 which is connected to the board in a manner to be described withreference to FIGS. 9-14.

In FIG. 4 a key slot 30 is formed in the undersurface of the board forreception of a ball 32. The rope 16 is secured to the ball which is heldcaptive in the key slot.

In FIG. 5 the end of the rope is untwisted to produce a plurality offilaments 32 and the filaments are molded in the board.

Tatiifiizlliiiii aingtiaeseeketeonrieetieathat'ewee quickly disconnectedat will but will remain connected under normal conditions of tow ropemovement and slack which might tend to uncouple a conventional head andsocket connector. The connector in this form of the invention comprisesa socket part 43 consisting of a plate member 44 formed generally in theshape of a Y. An open ended slot 46 is formed in the crotch of the Y toslidably receive a head 48 formed with a protuberance 49. The slot formsa way for holding and slidably guid ing the head 48 during slidingmovement therein. The head is secured to a body portion 50 and defines aheaded member. The body portion comprises a plate part 52 and a flange54. The tow eye 42 is integral with the headed member. Both the socketmember and headed member with the eye are formed of a suitable plasticsubstance such as nylon or Teflon, for example, but could be formed ofany suitable material. The base plate 44 can be secured to the board bythreaded fasteners or a suitable adhesive neither of which isillustrated in the drawing for the sake of simplicity.

The overall height of the head 48 and the protuberance 49 as indicatedby the letter H is slightly greater than the thickness of plate 44 asindicated by the shading in FIG. 10. When the parts are assembled on theundersurface of the surfboard the protuberance will be in frictionalengagement with the undersurface to provide a brake therewith such thata slackening of the tow line will prevent the water pressure from movingthe headed member toward the open end of the slot. If for some reason,such as hitting debris, the hook is forced rearwardly the surface 56thereof will contact a surface 58 of the plate 44 as shown in dottedlines in FIG. 10 to prevent disconnection of the headed and socketmembers.

In all forms of the invention the connection means is secured to theunderside of the surfboard at a point removed from the leading edge suchthat the tensioned tow rope will bear on the leading edge to cause theboard to assume an angle with the water such that the leading edge isthe high point of the board.

I claim as my invention:

1. A surfboard having a leading edge and an undersurface, a rope fortowing the board through the water, and means for connectirg the ropetotheundersurface of tgfirfaffar'ngagmeht with v the leading edge fortowingthe board with the leading edge above the body of the board, theconnecting means comprising a socket member secured to the undersurfaceof the board and a headed member slidably mounted in the socket, thesocket member comprising a plate having a slotted way therein open atone end, and means confining the headed member for sliding movement inthe way, and a protuberance on the headed member in frictionalengagement with said undersurface for braking the movement of the headedmember in the way.

2. A surfboard having a leading edge and an undersurface, a rope fortowing the board through the water, and means for connecting the rope tothe undersurface of the board for engagement with the leading edge fortowing the board with the leading edge above the body of the board, theconnection comprising a socket member and a headed member slidablymounted in the socket member, one of said members being secured to theunderside of the board, said socket member comprising a plate having aslotted way therein open at one end and means confining the headedmember for sliding movement in the way, an eye secured to the headedmember for connection to the rope and means mounting the eye forabutting engagement with the plate as the member is moved toward theopen end of the way with the eye moving toward the way.

3. A surfboard as defined in claim 2 wherein the socket member issecured to the undersurface of the board and the headed member isprovided with a protuberance in frictional engagement with theundersurface to provide a brake for braking the movement of the headedmember in the Way.

4. A coupling comprising a plate member having a slotted open ended waytherein, a head member slidably mounted in the way, and a protuberanceon the head member, the thickness of the plate member being less thanthe height of the head member and the protuberance thereon whereby whenthe plate is mounted on a member to be coupled the protuberance will bein frictional braking engagement with the member to be coupled, an eye,and means securing the eye to the head member for abutting engagementwith the plate member as the head member is moved toward the open end ofthe way with the eye moving toward the way.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,423,590 7/1922 Zimmerman 24-2241,428,358 9/1922 Burbery 24-222 1,559,390 10/1925 Waller 9310 2,403,0577/ 1946 Davis 24222 3,092,857 6/1963 Churchman 93 10 3,308,493 3/1967Lambach 9-310 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner.

